KARACHI: Inspired by captain Marnus Labuschagne’s grit, Hyderabad Kingsmen produced a composed and clinical chase to secure their second successive victory in the HBL Pakistan Super League, defeating Islamabad United by six wickets with 11 balls to spare here at the National Bank Stadium on Sunday night.

The situation could not have been more perfectly set up for Lab­u­schagne to lead from the front.

With the Kingsmen needing a measured pursuit of 154 on a pitch that offered grip and variable bounce, the Australian anchored the innings with a masterful unbeaten 61 off 53 balls.

His calm presence at the crease, combined with intelligent strike rotation and timely boundaries, ensured there was no collapse despite a mid-innings wobble.

It was the kind of innings that defines a leader — gritty, assured and perfectly timed to keep playoff hopes flickering for a side that had endured a difficult start to the campaign.

The chase began explosively. Opener Maaz Sadaqat launched a blistering assault in powerplay, smashing 30 off just 16 balls, including four fours and two sixes. He took particular toll on stand-in captain Chris Green and Imad Wasim, whose opening over leaked 20 runs.

Maaz’s aggressive intent set a strong platform, taking the Kingsmen to 50 for no loss inside five overs.

His dismissal in the fifth over, caught at mid-on off Green, brought Saim Ayub to the crease and shifted the momentum towards consolidation.

Labuschagne and Saim then forged a vital 60-run partnership for the second wicket that steadied the innings. Saim, who struck 35 off 26 balls with two fours and as many sixes, played with fluency, using feet against the spinners and finding gaps with elegant drives.

The duo rotated the strike efficiently, keeping the scoreboard ticking over while ensuring the asking rate never climbed beyond eight.

Labuschagne was content to play the anchor, picking singles and an occasional boundary with precise placement rather than brute force.

The partnership ended in the 14th over when Saim edged a hard-length delivery from Faheem Ashraf to wicket-keeper Devon Conway.

The over brought further drama as Usman Khan nicked a wide one down the leg side, also to Conway, leaving Kingsmen at 112 for three.

Kusal Perera lasted only briefly, holing out to deep backward square off Green for just two in the next over, as three wickets tumbled in quick succession. For a fleeting moment, United sensed an opening, with the required rate nudging upwards and the middle order getting under pressure.

However, that scare proved short-lived. Glenn Maxwell walked in and immediately injected momentum with a trademark late onslaught.

The Australian all-rounder smashed an unbeaten 21 off just nine balls, including two sixes off Imad in the 17th over that brought the target within touching distance.

His clean striking — one a classical slog-sweep and the other a lofted shot that cleared long-on after a fielder’s fumble — eased any remaining tension.

Meanwhile, Labuschagne brought up his half-century off 46 balls in the 16th over with a cheeky scoop shot off Salman Irshad. His fortitude in the face of the mini-collapse, combined with Maxwell’s fireworks, guided the Kingsmen across the line in the 19th over.

Earlier, United had posted a below-par 153 for nine after being asked to bat first.

The innings was built around a fluent opening stand between Conway and Sameer Minhas. Conway looked in prime touch, stroking seven boundaries in his 45 off 31, while Sameer contributed a brisk 22.

The pair raced to 57 for no loss inside powerplay, raising hopes of a formidable total on a surface that had slowed down.

However, the innings lost momentum dramatically in the middle overs. A double strike in the 10th over — both via run-outs — proved decisive.

First, Mohammad Faiq (18) was caught short of crease following smart work from the deep, and then Conway himself was run out for 45 after a mix-up, with keeper Usman recovering brilliantly to effect the dismissal. Those two breakthroughs in quick succession shifted the initiative firmly towards Kingsmen.

Mark Chapman battled valiantly to rebuild, scoring 42 off 30 balls with three fours and two sixes, including some clean hitting against the pace of Hunain Shah.

He found support from the lower order, but the scoring rate dipped noticeably after the powerplay. Haider Ali and Faheem could not accelerate effectively, and the innings stuttered.

The decisive blow came in the final over, bowled by Asif Mehmood, who produced a sensational spell of 4 for 18 in two overs.

He removed Chapman, then claimed Imad, Mehran Mumtaz and Chris Green in a devastating four-wicket haul that included three wickets in four balls.

The collapse from 150 for five to 153 for nine in the space of six deliveries left United well short of a competitive total.

Scoreboard

ISLAMABAD UNITED:
Devon Conway run out 45
Sameer Minhas b Ali 22
Mohammad Faiq run out 18
Mark Chapman c Irfan b Asif 42
Haider Ali c Maaz b Maxwell 6
Faheem Ashraf lbw b Ali 5
Chris Green c Labuschagne b Asif 6
Imad Wasim c Hunain b Asif 2
Mehran Mumtaz c Usman b Asif 0
Salman Irshad not out 1

EXTRAS (LB-4, W-2) 6
TOTAL (for nine wickets, 20 overs) 153
DID NOT BAT: Richard Gleeson
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-56 (Sameer), 2-87 (Faiq), 3-89 (Conway), 4-105 (Haider), 5-113 (Faheem), 6-150 (Chapman), 7-152 (Imad), 8-152 (Mehran), 9-153 (Green)
BOWLING: Ali 4-0-26-2 (1w), Hunain 4-0-44-0, Saim 4-0-29-0, Maxwell 4-0-21-1 (1w), Hassan 2-0-11-0, Asif 2-0-18-4

HYDERABAD KINGSMEN:
Maaz Sadaqat c Faheem b Green 30
Marnus Labuschagne not out 61
Saim Ayub c Conway b Faheem 35
Usman Khan c Conway b Faheem 1
Kusal Perera c Faheem b Green 2
Glenn Maxwell not out 21

EXTRAS (B-1, LB-1, NB-1, W-4) 7
TOTAL (for four wickets, 18.1 overs) 157
DID NOT BAT: Irfan Khan, Hassan Khan, Asif Mehmood, Hunain Shah, Mohammad Ali
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-50 (Maaz), 2-110 (Saim), 3-112 (Usman), 4-115 (Perera)
BOWLING: Imad 3-0-46-0, Gleeson 3-0-20-0, Faheem 4-0-33-2 (1nb), Green 4-0-19-2, Salman 3.1-0-27-0 (1w), Mehran 1-0-10-0 (1w)
RESULT: Hyderabad Kingsmen won by six wickets.
MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Marnus Labuschagne

Published in Dawn, April 13th, 2026